Harvesting device.



W. L. GRIFFIN. HARVESTING DBVIUE. I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5. 1907. I 914, 25, Patented Mar. 9, 1909 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A TTOBNEYS Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/\ 1 i 1 I t m "mum WITNESSES c m M a z c m n s A w 0 c s R m E P u R Ra N r u r UNITED srArns Parana cr mes.

WILMER LINCOLN GRIFFIN, OF SCOTTVILLE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OFTHREE-FOURTHS TO WILMER L. GRIFFIN, OF SOOTTVILLE, MICHIGAN, ANDONE-FOURTH TO ORIN A. EATON,

OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

HARVESTING DEVICE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILMER L. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Scottville, in the county of Mason and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and Im proved Harvesting Device, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to harvesting devices and more particularly toapparatus used in the harvesting of potatoes and other similar produce.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and durableharvesting device by means of which potatoes can be freed from the earthadhering to them, and by means of which the cleaned tubers can be easilyand rapidly filled into receptacles therefor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a harvesting devicemounted upon a wheeled frame so that it can be advanced without di'fiiculty in a potato or other field, which has means for receiving thepotatoes or other tubers as the same are dug up, which serves for theeasy and rapid freeing of the tubers from adhering earth, and by meansof which the tubers can be directed into crates or other receptacles.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is anenlarged perspective view showing my invention in operation; Fig. 2 is alongitudinalsection of the harvesting device, showing certain of theparts in different position in dotted outline; and Fig. 3 is a plan viewof the device showing parts broken away.

Before proceeding to a more detailed eX- planation of my invention, itshould be understood that the same, while particularly useful in theharvesting of potatoes can be used for a similar purpose in connectionwith other produce, especially tubers.

Potatoes or other tubers, when they are dug up in harvesting, generallyhave adhering thereto considerable quantities of earth. Before packingthe potatoes in crates or other receptacles it is necessary to free themfrom the adhering material. The tubers are usually dug up by means offorks of special form which are manually operated by the harvesters.

My invention is used as an auxiliary in potato harvesting of the usualkind, that is, the potatoes are removed from the earth by means offorks, and, together with the adhering earth are thrown into the riddleof the harvesting device. By means of the latter the adhering materialis loosened from the potatoes and when the latter are clean the riddleis used to direct the potatoes to crates or other receptacles.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide an axle 1 havingat the ends, supporting wheels 2 which may be of any preferred or commonform. A frame 3 hav ing diverging side members 1 is secured to the axle1 by means of eyes 5 formed at the ends of the side members 4. At theend remote from the axle, the frame 3 has a socket 6, to which issecured by a bolt 7, a fork 8. Between the sides of the latter ismovably arranged a guide wheel 9.

The riddle 10 is arranged upon the frame 3 and has longitudinal members11 carrying at their ends, handles 12. The riddle comprises a slattedbottom 13 and sides 14.. The riddle may be fashioned from any suitablematerial such as wood, and has the sides preferably formed from sheetmetal. The sides 14 converge toward the outlet opening at the rear ofthe riddle, forming a discharge chute for directing the tubers from theriddle when the latter is tilted, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 1. Atthe end remote from the outlet opening between the sides 14, the bottomof the riddle is turned upward andhas a cross frame 15 which, togetherwith the up-turned portion of the bottom constitutes the end wall of theriddle. The longitudinal members 14 have cars 16 between which ismounted a spindle 17 carrying a roller 18. The latter rests upon theside members i of the frame and supports the riddle thereupon,permitting the riddle to be easily reciprocated .upon the frame.

A U-shaped hanger 19 has its sides 20 ar ranged in openings of the axleand extending thereabove. laterally disposed to form keepers 21 carryingrollers 22. The latter engage. offset guide brackets 23 carried at theunder sides of the longitudinal riddlemembers 11. The brackets 23limitthe movement'of "the riddle when the same is recjlprocated and'permitithe pivoting of the ri dle by means of the handles to 'tiltthe riddle;The longitudinal membersll have grips 24 which can be easily. grasped bythe operator ofthe device, to permit the riddle to be reciprocated.

A cross-bar 25 is located between the side members-4 of the frame and issecured there-, to by holderss26. Areceptacle support 27 is arrangedunderneath the riddle and is carried by the han er 19. The-support hasan arm 28 which is oosely fastenedto the crossbar 25. The support servesto hold aerate 29'01" someother receptacle adapted to-receive potatoes30 from the riddle, and .can be moved toone side orthe other to removethe crate from the discharge opening of the riddle.

The device is soproportioned that the Wheels2 can straddle two rows ofpotatoes, with the guide wheel -9 arranged between the rows. Thepotatoes, with the adhering earthare thrown'into the riddle by thediggers and the operator of the device then gras s the grips 24 andreciprocates the riddfe until the potatoes are freed from earth: When asuitable quantity of potatoes has been cleaned, the operator grasps thehandles 12 and tiltsthe riddle to permit the potatoes to advance fromthesame into the receptacle 29-carried by the support. The arrangement ofthe latter is such that the receptacle is-located underneath the riddleand in position to receive-potatoes from;

the outlet opening of the same, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 1.grips 24 are also used to propel the device and to guide it in onedirection or the other.

Having thus described my invention I claimasnew, and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In a device of the class described, a wheeled frame, and a riddlemovably mounted upon said frame, said riddle having brackets, said framehaving rollers engaging said brackets whereby said riddle is slidablyand pivotally mounted upon said frame.

2.. In a device of'the class described, a.

wheeledframe, and a riddle movably mounted upon said frame, said riddlehaving a. roller supporting 1t upon. SLlCl: frame, said.

frame having rollers, said riddle having The ends of the sides 20 areThe handles 12 or the chute, said riddle, atapointremote from itsslidable and pivotal attachment. to said frame having a roller. movablyengaging the same, said riddle. having adischarge chute, and a-supportfora removable receptacle,

said support being; arranged under said riddle at a pointadjacentto saidchute and being displaceable.

5. In a devicev of the class described, a frame, a riddle slidably andpivotally mounted upon said frame and having adischarge chute, saidframe having a-hanger, and a receptacle support pivoted at one end uponsaid frame andslidably arrangedupon said hanger.

6. Ina device of the class described, a-riddle having converging sidesforming between their adjacent ends an outlet chute, said riddle havingslats arranged transversely of said. sides and being slidably andpivotally mounted, said riddle further. havingithe bottom, attheend-remote from said chute, upwardly disposed to form an end wall.

7. In a deviceof the class described, a frame havingkeepers providedWithrollers, and a-riddle mounted upon saidframe and having. bracketsslidably and pivotally engaging said rollers, said riddle slidablyengaging said frame at a: point remote from said brackets.

8. A- device of theclass described, comprising an axle, wheelssupporting said axle, a. frame secured to said axle, a riddlearrangedabove saidframe and having a roller removably engaging the same,a hanger car.- ried by said axle and having laterally disposed endsprojecting thereabove, said riddle having, guide brackets engaging saidends, said ends carrying rollers at said brackets, said riddle havingmeans for its manual operation, and means movably supported by saidhanger for. carrying a removable receptacle.

9. In a device of the class describedv an axle, wheels supporting saidaxle, a frame secured to said axle and having a-pivoted guide wheel, ariddle arranged above said;

frame and having a roller engaging the-same, a U-shaped hanger carriedby said. axle and having laterally disposed ends projecting Ithereabove, said riddle having guide brackchute having the outletadjacent to said sup- 10 port.

I In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILMER LINCOLN GRIFFIN. Witnesses:

WV. E. BLAKE,

Mrs. RALPH MELLOR.

